I do not own the Bankotsu character, although I do own almost everything else in this story.
Far up in the mountains there is a shrine, the shrine of the moon.
There were rumors of the shrine having amazing beauty, but there was another rumor . . . a rumor that if anyone killed the shrine's guardian you'd get amazing powers.
Because of men's greed to have the powers to themselves, many traveled to the shrine, but none returned.
Many more parties went up to visit the shrine, but still none returned. People in nearby villages began to get suspicious.
They thought that a demon or a strong warrior had taken over the shrine. A demon, they said, it must have been. I simple warrior could never kill so many.
The villagers began to make up stories. One told that if a human were to gaze upon the shrine they would die instantly. This rumor was instantly shunned; it seemed too silly to believe.
. . . but another story bloomed out of it . . .
Maybe when any living being gazes upon the face of the demon they are killed because of its fear of being called ugly, they thought. This rumor was also silly, of course, but it mattered not to the scared villagers anymore.
. . . And so the legend of the great moon shrine began to spread yonder. People believed the legend and none went up to view the shrine for many, many years.
. . . Until the legend came to one man's ears . . .
In a slaughtered village sat a raven haired man shining his sword. "Now after this shine you should look like new, Banyruu."
He smiled, "There, just perfect." The huge sword shined in the morning light of the red sunrise, the sunrise that means bloodshed.
A twig broke behind a hut.
The raven haired man got up, "Come out from hiding, I promise to kill you fast."
On the other side of the hut a young boy sat crying over his lost family and friends.
He walked over to the other side to find the boy.
The man picked the boy up by the front of his shirt. "What do we have here?"
The boy sniffled, "Y-you murdered m-my parents . . . wh-why?"
The man shrugged,"I was hired to kill them."
The little boy's mind began to work, trying to find a way to escape death . . . when something dawned him . . .
"Y-you said your n-name is B-Bankotsu . . . and t-that you want to-to beat e-everyone strong, r-right?"
He sighed, "Yeah, I did, but enough talk, this is time consuming," he held up his sword.
The boy squirmed. "W-wait! I know s-someone strong!"
Bankotsu steadied Banyruu. "Go on."
"T-there is a-a demon in the m-mountains. He-he has never been b-beaten."
"Where in the mountains?"
"A-a shrine, the-the moon sh-shrine."
"That's all I need from you." Bankotsu threw the boy against the ground and knocked him out.
He looked at his sword. "What do you say Banyruu? Up for a little journey?" He slung the sword over his shoulder and began walking towards the mountains.
Bankotsu had been traveling for three days along the river. His diet wasn't living up to his standards, and he was bored.
Bankotsu was not very happy.
He sighed, "You think that kid was lying to us, Banyruu?"
Up ahead was an old enormous oak tree. It hovered over the sky and many birds were nesting in it in these night hours.
An owl flew past Bankotsu and landed on a high branch on the old oak. It hooted at him and flew in circles above his head then landed on the branch again.
Bankotsu was getting annoyed now. "Shut up you stupid bird!"
The owl hooted louder, it was almost as if it purposely was trying to irritate him.
Bankotsu's patience was running thin. "SHUT UP!" He punched the tree only hard enough to make it quaver.
The owl dashed off the branch and flew in circles over his head again.
Bankotsu's patience reached its minimum. He struck the oak in the middle and it came crashing down, bird and all.
The night was serene and peaceful again.
"That's better, a little quiet."
He gazed up at the sky where the oak used to be. In the distance he could see the roof of an old temple . . .
. . . the shrine of the moon.
"Finally, I found it! I guess that kid wasn't making it up after all."
Bankotsu began walking towards the old temple, and to the demon which he believed to be inside.
Only a few minutes later Bankotsu reached the shrine. The outside looked rundown and vacant. The steps leading to the inside of the shrine were high and covered with leaves from nearby trees.
"Just up those steps is the shrine, and inside waits the demon waiting for us to defeat," he told his enormous sword.
The night sky shone with the mysteries of what was yet to come once he arrived inside the shrine.
During Bankotsu's hike to the top of the steps he heard a shuffle of feet above.
Must be the demon, he thought.
Bankotsu sped up his approach.
The top of the steps was only a few yards from him. He had a clear view of the shrine.
The shrine had a sign with a four pointed star painted on it in purple; the symbol of the night.
Bankotsu moved his gaze to the top step.
There sat a woman, staring at him through serene grey eyes.
Bankotsu stopped a few steps away from the woman.
"Where can I find the undefeated demon," he demanded.
He noticed her hair was a sleek dark blue and her eyes resembled sliver glimmering moons.
She chuckled, "What do you want of this demon?"
"I want to beat him, obviously."
She got up from the steps to expose a slim figure wearing a blue and black kimono with sliver threads. The threads formed an intricate design of the night sky.
The skin on the woman's arms became visible as she clasped her hands together in front of her. They were pale and white as the moon.
She spoke in a smooth voice, "I'm afraid you're mistaken.
"Fine, if you want to be that way . . . ," Bankotsu pointed his sword at her. "Just tell me where he is or I'll have to kill you."
Her glimmering silver eyes turned sharp. "It is no 'he'."
He ran his fingers through his raven hair and laughed at her, "Are you saying you, a mere woman, is the demon?"
She approached him with the grace of a night breeze. "I am no demon."
Bankotsu readied his sword to match the woman's threatening advance. "Then who are you?"
The woman was now close enough to stroke Bankotsu's face.
With slender fingers she reached out a white hand and placed it on Banyruu without warning.
Bankotsu became paralyzed.
What is this?
He was near enough to see her jet black eyelashes fan out from her soft lids and to see her warm, pink cheeks accent her beautiful skin.
The woman truly could not be summed up by a simple 'beautiful'.
She smiled with gleaming teeth. "You must be tired, why don't you stay here tonight?" As polite as it sounded Bankotsu knew it was no question.
She released his sword and he was able to move freely again.
He flexed his fingers, "I could use a real meal, now that I think of it."
The woman nodded and her hair fell as a deep blue waterfall over her shoulders from the movement. "Follow me," she started walking to the shrine entrance.
Inside was the shrine with a tapestry hanging in the middle. The tapestry portrayed a scene of the night sky in its shining majestic grace. It resembled the woman's kimono, but the tapestry was simply much more detailed with its many colored threads and it being so realistic.
She gestured to a room. "You may stay here as long as you wish. I shall bring your dinner shortly." The woman bowed and left.
As Bankotsu examined the room he noticed a single bed in the corner and a door exiting from the other side of the room to the courtyard.
Bankotsu put down Banyruu and sat down on the bed.
I need to figure out if this woman is the demon. She doesn't seem like she is, but her powers of the divine are so strong . . .
Bankotsu's thoughts were interrupted by door sliding open from the side where the hallway was.
The gorgeous women held two trays. "I have brought you my best cooking. I hope it is to your liking."
He noticed as she placed the tray on the floor that it held various delicious foods. "Oh, I think it will be." His eyes shone with eagerness to taste the meal.
Bankotsu quickly dug in as soon as the woman set it on the floor.
The other tray in her hands left her in an uncomfortable position." May I eat with you," she asked politely.
"Sure," he spoke with his mouth full. I need to learn things about this woman and beat her.
She sat down in front of him with a second tray that she had been carrying. She ate with the same grace as her walk, he noted.
He asked between bites, "So what's your name, anyway?"
She set down her fork. "My name is Masami. May I inquire your name as well?"
"I'm Bankotsu." He leaned back and put his arms behind his head. "Ah, that was good."
His tray was entirely cleaned of all food.
She smiled, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
There was a few moments silence as they sat staring at each other awkwardly.
Bankotsu was first to brake the silence, "Well, I didn't come here to chat with you." He picked up Banyruu.
Masami gracefully got up and prepared her hand. "Do you really think you can beat me? I have guarded this shrine for many years, and I have never come across anyone stronger than me."
He chuckled, "I'm not like a normal human . . . and besides, you're just a normal priestess. . . Nothing special."
Her silver eyes darkened with menace. "I may be just a priestess, but I assure you I am not normal."
Bankotsu was skeptical, "Alright then, I guess I'll just have to find out."
"I guess you will."
Bankotsu swung his sword straight at Masami.
In a movement as fast as a shooting star the woman's hand stopped the sword in her palm. The aura surrounding her palm was visible to the naked eye.
"Interesting . . . You fuse all of your powers into one place and it creates a force strong enough to control even my Banyruu."
She shoved the sword away from her. "You can see that much from a single block . . . I'm impressed."
She lifted her hand so it was level with her forehead. A four-pointed star appeared in the middle of her forehead.
Her eyes narrowed so they resembled a cat's, "And now, you die."
She focused two fingers on Bankotsu and started chanting a spell in a language long forgotten.
She's using that star to control her aura, if I make her loose concentration there's a chance she'll have to let go of her aura. Think . . . distraction, distraction . . .
Bankotsu rapidly searched the small room for something that could distract the priestess, but all there was were the walls and . . .
The walls!
He slashed the walls surrounding Masami so they fell on top of her. That won't hurt her, but it might make her have to let go of her aura so she can escape before the walls fall on her.
A cloud of dust arose to fog his vision.
On the other side of the mountains the sun was rising and giving off warnings of the start of a new day.
A gust of wind came from inside the dust cloud. A shot of blue and black came from the now ruins.
The priestess was only a few yards away from him.
Her dark blue hair flew around her in fury, "Enough play, I have no time for it. Die!" She fired energy from her aura at Bankotsu's heart.
The energy was fast, but Bankotsu wasn't called strong for nothing.
He jumped from it nearly to late, "Phew that was close."
The sun was finally over the mountain after the long night. Its rays bathed the mountains in light.
Masami's eyes widened in fear as the four pointed star vanished.
Bankotsu took her moment of vulnerability and ran from where he was directly to the woman. He raised Banyruu high over the woman's head as he jumped in midair.
She highered her arms over her face in defense, to scared to move.
There was a scraping sound as metal hit hard earth.
The sword was wedged in the ground next to Masami.
She stared at him in disbelief with beautiful, surprised eyes.
He smiled crookedly, "You truly are fascinating. It would be a shame to kill someone with such potential."
Masami organized herself so she looked graceful again then brushed the dirt off her kimono. "Potential for what?"
He slung Banyruu over his shoulder. "Oh, well, since I spared your life, I believe you owe me. . . And I was thinking of creating a group of human weapons that can assassin warlords for money."
She blinked with her dark lashes.
"I want you to be the first to join my group. You seem strong."
Masami straightened. "I cannot. It is my duty to protect the shrine of the moon."
Bankotsu smiled slyly. "Well, I noticed something from our battle. You certainly were in a rush to kill me, and I believe you lost control of your aura when the sun came up. So I put it together; you aren't a priestess when the sun comes up. You become a normal, defenseless human."
She lifted her chin, "I do not become completely defenseless. I'll have you know I keep some of my powers during the day."
He lifted an eyebrow, "Oh, really? Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I fought you again?"
Masami lowered her eyes. "No, I would mind. My powers are weakened during the day, therefore, I would not be able to fight and live."
He smirked, "I thought so. Now, come with me and we can make a group of undefeatable murderers."
She shook her head and her deep blue hair moved around her head like a halo. "I cannot leave this shrine . . . but I plead of you, do not kill me! If I die this shrine will go to ruins and be robbed."
Bankotsu sighed. "I guess I'll just have to stay here until I can persuade you to join me."
The woman smiled, forgetting her unreadable expression.
He turned around and looked at the ruined room. ". . . but first, we should fix up those walls so I actually have a room."
Masami let go of her grace and formalities.
She threw her arms around Bankotsu, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"
He patted her head and laughed, "Alright, alright."
She straightened and let go of him. "I am sorry. I just was so happy that the shrine would be alright . . ."
He scratched his head. "Hey, it's okay to let go of the formalities now that I want you to be on my team."
Masami ignored the team remark.
Instead she turned around and examined the destroyed area. "We have a lot of work to do."
Bankotsu's shoulders slumped. "Yeah . . . I guess we do . . . ," his words had double meaning.